The Flagstaff girls cross country team had a lot to overcome.

Not only were the Eagles up against stout competition, but they were also running in the late-fall heat of the Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix Saturday.

Tatiana Gillick pulled off an impressive win in the Division II girls race to win the individual championship to fuel an overall state championship by the Eagles despite the heat and a lingering cramp throughout the entire race.

Gillick said she was pretty excited to win back-to-back titles, and said it was a tough race.

"I had a cramp pretty much the whole race, it got worse but sort of left when I started concentrating on the girl behind me (second-place Julie Vanderhout)," Gillick said. "She's a great runner and someone who I like to run with."

Gillick was more excited that the team took the overall championship. Flagstaff's first place (63 points) beat out 163 by tough second-place finisher Catalina Foothills. Cactus Shadows (131) took third, Ironwood Ridge (137) was fourth and Suharo's 190 was good for fifth.

"It was awesome to win the championship as a team; it's what we've been thinking about all year," Gillick said. "The teams here are tough, we knew we just had to be tougher."

Flagstaff coach Trina Painter said she was exited for Gillick getting her second-straight title, and added her girls deserved the team win for overcoming all the battles they've endured all season.

"It followed us all the way into them (the AIA officials) not wanting to let us into the parking lot (Saturday) morning because we didn't have a school car," Painter said.

Gillick finished the course in 18 minutes, 55.257 seconds, and was followed closely by teammate Alix Manci in fourth place with a tie of 19:54.173.

Fiona Nicholson was 12th for the Eagles in 20:27.169.

"They all ran great as a unit and Tatiana's win was special as she was able to repeat and lead her team to a team title," Painter said.

Gillick said her cramp was one of the toughest things to overcome Saturday, and the heat was another big wall of adversity.

"The heat was killing but you just have to force yourself to ignore it and have a strong mental attitude," she said.

Painter said the heat is always in the back of the runners' minds, right where the coaches tell them to leave it.

"We have to race here and we have to be prepared and if we're going to get beat we want to lose to a team, not the heat," she said.

DIVISION II BOYS

The Flagstaff boys ended the race thinking they had a third-place finish, but once the official results were posted, they learned they had taken sixth.

Painter said the team had top-three aspirations, but admitted the Eagles were up against some tough teams.

"The boys ran a good race," she said. "They were back further than we anticipated and fought to the finish and pushed through the middle miles.

"We have six seniors and I'm so proud of the boys. They did an amazing job as a team," she added.

Flagstaff had 169 points behind winner Cactus Shadows (78), Canyon Del Oro (142), Mountain View Marana (158), Ironwood Ridge (165) and Salpointe Catholic and their 166.

Tyler Endischee was Flagstaff's top finisher taking 19th place in 16:56.900, and was followed by teammates Anthony Spendlove in 26th, Kaleb Sandoval in 42nd and Calvin Boerwinkle who took 98th.

DIVISION IV BOYS

NPA's Cullen Hamblin was outsprinted in the final 100 meters of the Division IV boys

race by Pusch Ridge's Kyle Cajero, and the NPA boys finished third in the team race.

"(Cajero) had a faster kick than me. He just ran better, so I can't beat myself up too bad

over that," Hamblin said. "I'm happy with what I did."

Hamblin said that he was only in sixth or seventh place after two miles.

"It was the last mile where the tougher runners began to show because the weaker

runners began to fall back," Hamblin said. "And then me and the kid from Pusch Ridge

really stepped up. We were neck and neck for the last 100 meters"

"(Cullen) is so tough." NPA boys coach Mike Elder said. "He likes to run but he's not a

fan of running. After the season's over he'll probably go back to what he loves which is

playing hockey."

Elder said that his team's third place finish exceeded his expectations.

"Our goal was to get into the top five," Elder said. "So third place was really the best we

could have hoped for. Ryan Anhold is our No. 5 guy, and he contributed a lot to the team

this year. In cross country you're nothing without a good fifth guy."

NPA's Jonathon Hall finished seventh in the race after a 14th place finish last year.

Other NPA finishers were Ben Hall 33rd, Nick Schulz 77th, Anhold 88th and Colbe

Whitemagpie 142nd.

DIVISION IV GIRLS

The Spartans finished in third overall behind Hopi and Pusch Ridge behind Regan Gee's 17th-place finish and a 21st-place showing by Keven Griffen. Anna Long of Scottsdale Christian won the race in 18:54.122, while Gee ran a 21:18.603 and Griffen crossed in 21:33.034.

Corrin Kalinich and Gabriella Evans finished 23rd and 24th, respectively for the Spartans.

DIVISION III

The Page girls won the Division III championship with 51 points just ahead of Mingus Union and Chinle, while the Sand Devil boys took a fifth place Saturday.

Jayde Secody, Nicolette Coleman and Nicole Douglass all finished in the top 10 for Page, while Ammon Secody, Jeffery Miller and Tyron Yazzie had top 20 finishes for the Page boys.

Bill Harris can be reached at bharris@azdailysun.com or 556-2251.

State Cross Country Meet

Division II Girls

1.    Flagstaff

Division II Boys

6.    Flagstaff

Division III Boys

2.    Tuba City

7.    Coconino

Division IV Girls

1.    Hopi

3.    NPA

Division IV Boys

1.    Hopi

3.    NPA

Flagstaff Girls

1.    Tatiana Gillick    18:55.251

4.    Alix Manci    19:54.173

6.    Fiona Nicholson    20:27.169

49.    Anika Francis    21:43.189

60.    Breanna O'Connor    22:13.059

73.    Stormmy Boettcher    22:26.993

NPA Girls

17.    Regan Gee    21:18.603

21.    Keven Griffen    21:33.034

23.    Corrin Kalinich    21:36.645

24.    Gabriella Evans    21:38.570

31.    Jassmine Mueller-Hsia    22:09.825

50.    Andrea Picard    22:50.535

54.    Kassie Irwin    22:58.365

Coconino Boys

36.    Michael Ottaviani    17:32.317

38.    Levi Hatch    17:36.409

50.    Harrison Thurgood    17:50.853 4

58.    Jullian Melvin    17:57.339

97.    Mason McCabe    18:54.644

101.    Ty Crowther    18:55.435

126.    Sheldon Brown    19:27.915

Flagstaff Boys

19.    Tyler Endichee    16:56.700

26.    Anthony Spendlove    17:07.109

42.    Kaleb Sandoval    17:36.807

48.    Calvin Boerwinkle    17:49.810

64.    Zak Miller    18:04.569

69.    Joey Spinelli    18:07.700

84.    Bud Anaya    18:20.206

NPA Boys

2.    Cullen Hamblin    16:29.184

7.    Jonathon Hall    17:01.253

33.    Ben Hall    18:16.697

77.    Nick Schulz    19:26.788

88.    Ryan Anhold    19:55.025

146.    Colbe Whitemagpie    23:52.796